The Loom is Weaving its way into Bushwick Life

In the midst of an economic crisis a new mini-mall is opening its doors in Bushwick, Brooklyn, on the corner of Knickerbocker St. and Flushing Ave. The mall, dubbed "The Loom", is in the ground floor of an old pillow factory and the neighbors are not other shops, but rather residential lofts. The area has seen a great deal of change in recent years, and the chatter on local blogs claim it could be the next Willamsburg. The tenants are willing to take the gamble of opening shop in a non-existant retail location.

The shop-owners feel they can see the future and think the area has a lot of potential . "I was the first to open up in here," said Rose, the owner of Brooklyn Yarn Cafe, " I say by June the place will be completely full, it will actually be a mall." Her shop is a combination yarn store/ cafe, offering everything from coffee and tea to sandwiches and cupcakes; with some knitting and crocheting on the side.

Rose decided to open her cafe in the area because of the lack of places like it. " There is really nowhere for people to eat and enjoy" she explained, " I decided to do the cafe and the yarn to give people the opportunity to learn to knit for free." Rose gives knitting classes a few days a week and often has groups of people sitting at the long communal table in the cafe.

Another shop-owner, Paul Johnston, decided to open his vintage furniture business, Brooklyn Vintage, in the mini-mall because of the neighborhood and the change he has already seen happen around him. He has lived near the location of the mall for four years and has seen the demographic change, he has seen the gentrification happen and he thinks the mall will further that change.

" The people moving in here are pretty cool businesses," he continues, " they are going to help usher in the full on gentrification." Paul added, " there is not really a replacement of one socio-economic group into another," he went on, " you have failing businesses being turned into lofts."
The people willing to pay the rent($1,100-3,500), and take a chance on opening a business with the future of the neighborhood as the deciding factor may likely play a part in the further change the neighborhood will see. Mini-malls such as The Loom, and the business owners with hope for the future may not only change the neighborhood, but may be at the forefront of a new economic movement.

"This mini-mall is a good model for the new New York local economy," Paul went on, " as big businesses fall and the economy continues to contract there's a lot of people, intelligent, well educated, motivate people [who] are beginning to band together, and thats happening at places like this."